Saint-Gobain awards major forklift deal to Rushlift

The 10-year deal will see Rushlift supplying Saint-Gobain with a range of materials handling equipment including Doosan and Combilift, and the agreement covers the management and maintenance of over 2,000 forklifts, including for Saint-Gobain's merchant chains Jewson and JP Corry. Rushlift chairman Peter Cosgrove praised the national accounts, technical and service teams for their efforts throughout the two-year negotiation process. "The agreement is on an unprecedented scale and we are excited by the opportunities and challenges it presents our business," he said. "It's a superb vote of confidence in our business values and approach." Rushlift has recruited 30 extra engineers and accounts managers to service the contract. Saint-Gobain was particularly impressed with Rushlift's electronic data exchange (EDI) capabilities. The system allows companies to log jobs without having to call a depot and for Saint-Gobain's fleet management systems to be updated daily by Rushlift. Saint-Gobain fleet director Ian Berrill says the group was impressed by Rushlift's track record and was keen to make the most of economies of scale and take advantage of technical developments. "Having the UK's largest fleet has many benefits but also many challenges. Being able to manage the fleet make up, control costs and respond to our changing needs is crucial. Rushlift's approach offers us a real business advantage, allowing for full visibility of equipment across over 800 sites in the UK and Ireland." Pictured (l-r): Dennis Welfare, director of Saint-Gobain's transport division, with Rushlift chairman Peter Cosgrove